Worth a Shot
by StraniqueGirl0684
Summary: Butch meets a girl who finally gives him a run for his money at basketball. But could the game have bigger consequences than he ever anticipated? GREENs. Birthday fic for Mrs. RoseGold!


**Hello everybody! Here's another little oneshot about my favorite PPG pairing! But this fic is for a very special occasion!**

 **It is to wish an extremely happy birthday to _Mrs Rosegold_ , my darling fellow Greens trash! :3 You're the sweetest, and your support has meant so much to me, and this little piece will never be even close enough to showcase how truly wonderful I hope your birthday is! Enjoy, my dear!**

 **Everyone be sure to pop over to her PMs and wish her the happiest of birthdays! :D**

 **And special thanks are due to _Carriedreamer_ , my co-conspirator for this piece since its inception! I couldn't have gotten this all down without your help!**

 **Without further adieu, onto the story!**

* * *

 _ **November 12, 2013**_

Butch slipped on his shirt as he shut the locker he'd been using for basketball practice that afternoon. All of his shit was shoved unceremoniously into his Townsville University duffle bag because who really cared? He'd need to do laundry soon anyway, so fuck it if the clothes were wrinkled.

Now to go back to the gym to get his brother's girlfriend.

Butch rolled his eyes. The idiot had some stupid band rehearsal that wouldn't end for another half hour. So, rather than leave the petite blonde girlfriend to wait until then, Boomer begged Butch to bring her home since the cheerleaders typically had practice in another room of the athletics building on campus at the same time the team did.

And since he was such a good brother, he agreed to do this favor for his dumbass younger brother.

He liked the girlfriend fine and all, but she insisted on making conversation all the time. Aside from her cheering for his team, he realized they had next to nothing in common, reducing these exchanges to small talk.

God, Butch hated small talk.

As he reentered the gym, he heard the blonde in question babbling away already. Had another one of the cheerleaders stayed behind? Butch grinned. He hoped it was Haley. He'd been meaning to get her number for a while…

Hmmm. Maybe something good could come out of this after all.

He ran a quick hand through his hair and rolled his shoulder, his signature alluring smirk plastered on his face. Ready to get himself that phone number! However, as Butch turned the corner, he immediately knew this girl with Bubbles was no cheerleader. She wore black basketball shorts and what had to be a dude's tank top since the armholes came so low he could clearly see the side of her bra.

But he didn't recognize her from the girls' team either. Who the hell was this chick?

"Bubbles, no," a raspy voice murmured from the girl he didn't recognize.

This gave him pause. His curiosity piqued, he wanted to let the girls finish their discussion. (Argument?) After all, Bubbles Utonium was not often told "no." Most people felt too guilty about upsetting her to do it, not wanting to rain on her sunny parade.

So color him intrigued.

"Awh, come on, Buttercup!" The small blonde pleaded. "You know Blossy and I are just worried about you. Junior year is almost half over, and you've done no group activities anywhere on campus. Since you wouldn't join Greek life with us, won't you at least _consider_ trying out for the basketball team next month?"

Ah. So he really hadn't seen her on the team. Good to know. He was pretty sure he'd remember a girl like her, but his memory wasn't always the best…

The dark haired girl, Buttercup, according to Bubbles, simply snorted and dribbled away. "You know I don't do teams."

 _SWISH._

Holy shit. Lucky shot. Three pointers were the bane of existence for a lot of players.

Not Butch, of course. But he had to admit he was mildly impressed by the rookie.

Especially when she darted under the net, snatched the ball out of the air, dribbled back out, and shot another three on her spin back around.

 _SWISH._

Butch raised an eyebrow. Maybe rookie was the wrong word after all.

Bubbles huffed and put her hands on her hips. "See?! You're so good! The team could use you."

"I know. Not interested."

Now Butch snorted. A little full of herself much? She was good but not great. Certainly not better than him.

She charged the basket and leapt into the air.

 _SWISH. DOOOONG._

Did this chick seriously just dunk the ball?! She was barely five and a half feet tall! There were guys over six feet tall who couldn't do that.

Jesus. Who was this chick?

He saw Bubbles roll her eyes. "Okay, now you're just showing off."

Buttercup grinned, and damn if it didn't feel like a physical thing squeezing the insides of his chest together. Her lime green eyes sparkled, and he felt blood start to journey south.

Okay. Time to interrupt this before Butch embarrassed himself.

Entering the gym in full, Buttercup's back was to him. This made it easier to get Bubbles' attention.

"Hey, Bubbly. Ready to roll?"

She turned toward him, and a bright smile replaced the pout that had been there moments prior. "Hi, Butch! Yeah, just let me grab my bag."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Buttercup sauntered over. "Who the hell are you?"

Bubbles giggled. "Relax, BC. This is Butch. He's the captain of the boys' team."

Those lime green eyes narrowed in his direction. "I thought your boy-toy was a musician?"

"Don't be gross! This is his brother."

"Okay. So why is he giving you a ride? Shouldn't the man candy be picking you up?"

"Don't call him that."

Oh ho! That was a pretty dark tone for the usually upbeat blonde. Apparently degrading the boyfriend was a sore spot. Butch grinned. He'd have to tell Boom later.

Buttercup chuckling, holding one hand up in surrender as the other cradled the basketball. "Touchy. Guess you really like this one.

Bubbles pouted again. "Of course I do!"

"Then go have fun or whatever," she teased. "Just use protection!"

"Oh my God!" Bubbles flamed red.

The dark haired girl ignored her and instead turned to him. "You better not try anything with my sister. Or drive like a douche. Because if anything happens to her, I will cut your dick off and mount it on my wall."

He snickered. Quite the spitfire, huh? And wait – did she just say "sister?" "Well, aren't you just a basket of kittens and rainbows, Sunshine?"

"Don't get cute with me."

"Oh, Buttercup, enough. He'll be good, I promise." Bubbles put a hand on her sister's arm and smiled. Then Butch saw a momentary look of consideration flash across the blonde's face – so fast he would have missed it if he blinked.

"You're sure about this?"

"Of course! After all, our star basketball player wouldn't let anything happen to one of the cheerleaders, right?"

Buttercup eyes him warily. "Star, huh?"

"Oh yeah! He's the best player I know!"

Ouch. That was a look of hurt if he ever saw one. "Oh, is he now?"

"Totally! He might be the only person better than you."

"Well, that's hardly fair, Bubbly. Are you sure she wouldn't be more comfortable against one of the other guys? I'd probably make her cry when I wiped with floor with her."

Oh, that was a dark look. Butch smirked.

"No offense, Sunshine. But you're not good enough to hang with the real players."

"I could kick your ass in a game of one-on-one any day of the week, dickweed!"

Bubbles sighed. "I don't know, BC. I mean, he's _really_ good."

"Whose side are you on?!"

Butch put a hand on her head and ruffled the dark locks, trying to ignore how soft they felt to the touch. "Tell you what. I'll play you. On one condition."

She slapped his hand away. "Why would I listen to a word you say, douche?"

"Funny. I didn't think you'd be the type of girl to back down from a challenge so easily. I misjudged you. Shame, that. All right, Bubbly. Let's go."

Buttercup's fists clenched. "Runnin' away before you throw down the gauntlet? Funny. Seems I misjudged you too."

God, she was such a ball buster. Were these two seriously sisters? No offense to Bubbly, but her sister was tough as nails.

And damn if it he didn't appreciate the hell out of it.

"All right, Sunshine. Here's the terms – three days from now. You and me. One-on-one. If I win-"

"You try out for the team!" Bubbles piped up.

Butch frowned. That wasn't at all what he was going to say! Jeez, she was as bad of a cock-block as his good-for-nothing brothers!

However, before he could correct her, Buttercup grit her teeth and spat out, "Fine! But, if I win, this never gets brought up again!"

"But –"

"It's a deal!" Bubbles scooped up her bag and grabbed him by the wrist, dragging him out of the gym. "Enjoy your training!"

"What time are we expecting you home?"

Bubbles giggled again. "Tell Blossy not to wait up!"

"I say again – use protection! The world is not ready for a baby Bubbles running around!"

"Goodbye, Buttercup!"

It took until they were halfway to his car before it finally dawned on him. "You used me!"

Bubbles turned those big baby blues on him and blinked innocently. "Whatever do you mean?"

Butch narrowed his eyes. "You're pure evil, you know that?"

"Why, Butch? Would you have wanted something different?"

Oh no. He was not falling for that far-too-sweet tone. Butch refused to fall into that trap.

"Like I said – _evil_. Does Boomer know?"

She giggled. "Of course. But he doesn't call it evil. He calls it feisty."

"More like manipulative. Your sister is feisty."

Those blue eyes flashed – again – with something he couldn't quite place. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised you'd like feisty girls."

"I didn't say anything about whether I liked it or not. Don't try to put words in my mouth. I'm not dumb enough for that to work."

Bubbles sighed. "Well, that's a bummer. I'll have to tell her she's not your type."

"I didn't say that either! Dammit, Bubbly, stop putting words in my mouth!"

"Well, it can't be both, Butch. She either is or she isn't." The blonde smiled up at him. "Though I do know athletic guys tend to be her type. Know anyone I can set her up with?"

Butch paused. Some part of him knew what she was trying to do. But that part was not big enough to stop his mouth. "She's single?"

The smile morphed into a grin. One that made his heart sink. "I knew it!"

"Yeah, your sister's hot, Bubbly. So sue me. What do you want?"

"Help me, and I'll help you."

"And I can help you by beating your sister in this game of one-on-one? What's in it for you?"

As they climbed into his Escalade, he heard a wistful little sigh. Oh God. Please not the tears!

"I get to see my sister play for real again."

"…And?"

Bubbles blinked. "What do you mean?"

"What else?"

"There's…nothing else?"

He frowned as he pulled out of the space. He considered this for a minute. Had he or his brothers ever done something solely for each other's benefit?

"Are you sure she even wants to do this? Is she gonna be garbage on the team?"

"Of course not! She's a damn good player and even got the team to states in high school." Bubbles scowled. "But she wasn't allowed to play. And the team lost. Stupid doo-doo brain principal!"

Uh. There were parts of that story missing. "What?"

She huffed, crossing her arms. "Some mean, nasty people got her in trouble. Right before states! Causing her to get benched for the rest of the season."

Butch whistled lowly before grimacing. "That's shitty. But it doesn't really explain why she doesn't play anymore."

Oh God. Those little hands clenched into fists. "Because those awful girls didn't believe her! Some teammates!"

Butch's head was spinning. "Bubbly, care to fill in the blanks for me?"

She bit her lip. "She'll be mad…"

"You already told me this much."

Bubbles considered this. "But…"

Why did he even care? He didn't need to hear this story. But it seemed to be bothering her, and he couldn't quite abate his curiosity. "I won't say anything to her."

With a sigh of what could only be relief escaping her lips, Bubbles immediately launched into a rant. "Ugh! It was those stupid boys! This group of wannabe thugs she hung out with. And their stupid, evil, rotten, no good leader got mad when she stopped hanging out during basketball season. So he had one of the boys plant drugs in her locker." The voice dropped to a growl. "Performance enhancers."

"Shit. Dude put 'roids in her locker? That's some twisted shit."

"He didn't like being ignored," Bubbles grumbled. "But poor BC! She explained they weren't hers. Offered to take every drug test known to man. But the school didn't care. And those petty, awful, jealous girls believed she used them! As if it suddenly explained why she was ten times the player any of them were!"

Jesus. Where the hell did these girls go to school?

"They got beaten. Very badly. Without her. And then!" Yelling. She was yelling now. "Those stupid girls yelled at her for not hiding her drugs better so they could win!"

"Talk about a lose-lose situation," Butch mumbled. "Your school sounds like it was full of shitty people.

Taking a deep breath, Bubbles shook her head. "There were some wonderful people there too. But all the bad ones just…"

"Tended to find your sister?" Butch finished with a snort. "I can relate."

"I know," she said softly with a sniffle. "So please, Butch? Help her love her sport again?"

He sighed and rubbed his temple. "I'm already roped into this anyway, right? No need to be melodramatic."

With a squeal and a sob, Bubbles hugged his arm. "Oh, thank you, Butch! I'll put in a good word for you, I promise!"

Rolling his eyes, Butch chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. You got what you wanted. Now get out of my car. Boomer is wearing a hole in the driveway waiting for you."

Nothing else needed to be said before the small cheerleader practically flew out of his car and into her waiting boyfriend's arms. Butch rolled his eyes again. It'd been three months, but the two still looked at each other like they hung the damn sun in the sky.

He groaned. How the hell did he get himself into this mess?

But, in his mind's eye, he saw the raven haired girl smirking with the competitive glint in her eye and knew he had to get this girl back out on the court. It would be a sin not to at least try.

* * *

 _ **November 15, 2013**_

Quicker than he thought, the day of the competition arrived. Though he'd never admit it out loud, Butch was a little nervous. Most of the guys he balled with were generally about half a foot taller than his opponent today. How would that change the game? What advantages would that grant her?

He'd spent every free hour drafting strategies for himself depending on if she played a more offensive or defensive game. Brick and Boomer both voiced surprised at how seriously he was taking this. But she was too good not to play, dammit. If he had to beat her to get her to remember the love of the game, he'd do it.

Regardless of how weird the logic sounded when he said it out loud.

When he arrived in the gym, he raised an eyebrow at the turnout. Sure, he'd told his brothers, but there were a lot of other people present.

It looked like most of his team and the girls' team were there, along with a handful of cheerleaders. But there were a couple of stragglers as well.

Who'd told all these people about this? Not that Butch cared; he performed better with an audience after all. Then he caught Bubbles looking around pleased as punch and realized perhaps he wasn't the only one who did.

As he approached the raven haired girl who would be his opponent this afternoon, he recognized one of the guys from the team talking to her. He frowned momentarily at the too comfortable smile she gave him until she caught his eye. Buttercup gave Butch a mock salute by way of greeting. Mitch, the player she'd been talking to, repeated the action with an added, "Hey, Captain."

"Hey, Mitch. Hey, Sunshine."

Buttercup scowled. "Seriously? Is the nickname necessary?"

"I think it's cute he has a pet name for you already, Butters." Mitch's grin was devious.

"Fuck off, Mitchie." Oh ho! Were those cheeks reddening? Well, well, well! Maybe Butch was just her type after all.

He wanted to point it out – bust her balls about how obviously attracted to him she was – but what came out instead was, "So how do you two know each other?"

"We've been friends since kindergarten," Mitch replied. "Butters is the chick I used to get in trouble with all the time."

"Usually your stupid ideas, and I came along to make sure your dumb ass didn't light yourself on fire." Buttercup rolled her eyes with a grin.

Mitch shrugged. "Molotov cocktails were always worth the risk."

"I know a few people who might disagree with you." Oh, that smile was pure evil.

"They deserved it." Mitch turned to Butch then. "I'm acting as your referee today, Captain. Hope that's cool with you."

Butch blinked. "You? Why?"

Then a higher pitched voice came from behind him. "Because he's the neutral party! Can't have one of your boys making unfair calls."

He turned and saw Bubbles smiling widely with fellow cheerleader Robin Snyder in tow.

"You really thought of everything, huh?" Butch asked.

"It's all anyone's been talking about for the past three days. Had to give them a good show!" Robin piped up.

"They wouldn't all know if Bubbles didn't tell you, Snyder," Buttercup snickered. "You sent out a Facebook invite within the hour."

Robin shrugged. "People are curious to see the brave girl who's taking on Butch."

The raven haired girl grinned. "Hope they're ready to see him get knocked down a peg."

"Big words coming from such a small person," Butch retorted.

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Isn't that how the saying goes?"

"Awh, Sunshine, I'm flattered you've thought about how big I am."

The red flush occurred instantaneously, and Mitch howled with laughter. Robin openly giggled while Bubbles gaped at him.

"Good to know your version of smack talk doesn't actually insult your opponent but boosts your own ego." Butch saw Brick and Boomer sidle up to the group. "Is this game starting sometime soon? Some of us do have other things to do today."

"I'm ready whenever you are, Sunshine," Butch told Buttercup with a smile.

She took a step closer, so they would have been chest-to-chest if she wasn't so small. As it was, she had to look up at him to glare which only amused him more. "Let's do this!"

"Wait!" Dammit, Bubbles, really? The girl inserted herself between them. "What about Blossy?"

Buttercup groaned. "Is she even on her way? Didn't she have some thing today?"

"It wrapped up a couple minutes ago! She's on her way with Mike and Pablo. Please wait!" Bubbles begged.

"Do you mind?" Buttercup asked, looking more at Brick than Butch. "I'd hate to keep you from all your _important_ shit."

"He'll be fine," Butch spoke before his brother could. "He doesn't have anywhere better to be."

Brick rolled his eyes. "Your audience is just getting antsy."

"A little dramatic tension won't kill them. Right, Sunshine?"

She glared at him. "Must you continue to call me that?"

"Would you rather me call you something else, Butterbabe?"

Those lime eyes widened for a fraction of a second, but Butch caught it. He almost frowned. Why the hell did she seem so surprised by the comment? She was a babe, so this nickname suited her as well as the other. He wasn't particular.

"Wrong sister, dickweed. Sunshine will be fine," she mumbled, averting her gaze.

Bubbles and Mitch shared a sad look but didn't say anything further. The blonde almost reached out to her sister, but then the gym doors swung open to reveal three people beyond.

And who the hell were these prissy Pams?

The girl who stood point strode into the gym in a damn skirted business suit with her long red hair in a high ponytail. Good God, how tall were those shoes?! She was going to eat shit in here.

"Sorry, Buttercup! I'm here." She somehow practically floated over to the bleachers on what was deemed "Buttercup's side" apparently. (Appropriate as it was the section for families and friends of the away team.) The redhead smoothed down her skirt to sit and shot Buttercup an apologetic smile. "Go team?"

"Brick? Uh…Brick?" Boomer whispered. "You okay?"

Butch turned and saw his older brother gaping like a fish. What the hell? "Earth to Brick? COME IN, BRICK!"

"Who is that?" Brick asked, ignoring his brothers all together.

Bubbles clapped her hands together. "Yay! Blossy you made it!"

"Of course! I wouldn't miss it," Blossom said with a smile. "What kind of sister would I be then?"

This seemed to un-break Brick for a moment, enough for him to turn to Buttercup with wide eyes. "She's your sister too?!"

Buttercup narrowed her eyes. "What's it to you, bub?"

"…you just don't…look alike at all…" Brick coughed, breaking the uncomfortable eye contact.

"Yeah, well, neither do you and your brothers, Cap Boy. Keep your eyes to yourself and your hands where I can see them. Blossom has way better things to do than hang out with you."

"Blossom?" Brick smiled some loopy sort of smile. Was his brother high or something?! "That's a pretty name…"

"Hey! Are you listening to me, asshole?!"

"Oh, Buttercup, leave him alone! He has a crush – it's cute!" Bubbles cooed, before turning back to a Robin who was frantically whispering in her ear, eyes locked on the dudes that came in with Blossom.

Brick turned as red as the cap on his head. "Don't be ridiculous!"

"What is with the Jojos and trying to bed my sisters?" Buttercup grumbled.

"Oh, don't worry, BC! You might have one of your very own too. Bubbles winked at Butch, and Buttercup blushed.

"Shut up, Bubbles."

Mitch cleared his throat. "As adorable as this exchange is, are we starting this sometime today?"

"I'm ready when you are, Sunshine." Butch smirked at the red-faced girl. "But I wouldn't blame you for wanting to back out now."

Her eyes narrowed into slits, though her face lost none of its color. "Enough! Talk is cheap – let's do this!"

"This is gonna be fun."

His brothers clapped him on the shoulder before Boomer started walking to one side while Brick, the dumbass, started walking towards Blossom. Boomer looked after Brick for a moment, confusion clear on his face.

Butch scowled. "Hey, asshole! The cheering section for your brother is over there!"

Brick froze, eyes trailing momentarily towards his original destination before he heaved a sigh and grudgingly moved to the other side. Boomer snickered and slung an arm over their eldest brother's shoulders.

"Come on, Brick. If I can be on the opposite side from my _girlfriend_ , you can be on the opposite side from your beautiful stranger. I'll even get you an introduction after the game if you behave."

"Shut the fuck up, Boomer.

With a shake of the head, Mitch grinned. "Well, now that we're all settled, some quick ground rules."

Rules? What rules? Didn't they both already know the rules of the game? Just start already!

"Calm down, Captain. Just a quick rundown." Butch scowled as Mitch knowingly smirked at him. "You're playing first to ten. One point per bucket. The only other rule is follow the other rules of the game – meaning no elbows, Butters."

Raising an eyebrow, Butch glanced at the small girl next to him who didn't look the least bit apologetic, sending Mitch a devious grin instead. "Who, me? Mitchie, you wound me. I would never!"

Mitch rolled his eyes. "Yeah. My bruised ribs in high school never happened, Butters."

"Whatever, ya big baby. Can we start now?" Buttercup crossed her arms.

"Go Buttercup!" Bubbles cheered. After a pause, she said, "Robin, what are you doing sitting over there? I thought you were going to help me cheer?"

Butch followed the blonde's gaze to where Robin sat next to the sandy haired guy who came in with Blossom whose face burned bright red as the cheerleader in question batted her baby blues at him. Poor guy probably never had a girl that forward talk to him in his life if his expression was any indication.

"Oh! Uh - of course I am! Just helping explain the rules of the game to Mike." Robin quickly snagged a pen out of his planner and scrawled something on his hand. "Coming, Bubbles!"

Butch snickered. Okay, Snyder. Get it! …even if the guy looked like a total square. Some girls were into that, he guessed.

"Any questions before we start? I'm your sexy referee, so I'm here for all your inquiries."

"You guys said you knew each other before?"

Mitch cocked his head. "Uh…yeah?"

"So are you gonna favor her because you boned back in the day or some shit? Because I might be your captain, but I can't beat that out."

Almost immediately, Buttercup made a gagging noise, and Mitch cackled. Butch raised an eyebrow at the pair.

"Ew. No. Never ever." Buttercup scrunched her nose.

"I'm touched, Butters. But, Captain, I would like you to meet my boyfriend, Pablo. Say hi, sweetie!"

Butch found himself looking towards the bleachers once again to the other guy who had come in with Blossom – not the one who Snyder had snuggled up to, lucky enough for her. The friendly looking Hispanic boy waved.

"Dios Mio, Mitchell…"

"Love you too, hot stuff!" Mitch winked at the boy.

"Convinced now, Butchie Boy? He won't be doing me any special favors because of that. Can we _please_ get on with this now?"

"Yeah, yeah. Tip off time." Butch smirked. "Let's get it on, Sunshine."

She stood in a crouch in front of him as Mitch held a ball aloft. Butch grinned at the determined look adorning her delicate features.

One thing was for sure: he meant what he said, this was going to be fun.

In the next breath, Mitch tossed the ball into the air, and Buttercup leapt for it. Unfortunately for her, the near foot difference in height gave Butch the advantage here. He plucked the ball out of the air and dodged around her, immediately charging the basket and executing a nearly perfect lay-up, if he did say so himself.

He shot a cocky grin over his shoulder only to see Buttercup charging him like a bull. She snatched the ball and dribbled it back to midcourt before launching it through the air.

 _SWISH_.

Jesus. One to one it was then.

Buttercup sneered. "Don't get too full of yourself just because you're taller. I'm not gonna lay down and let you win."

He lazily dribbled the ball back to midcourt to stand beside her. "Color me impressed, Sunshine."

"Don't be a prick. Let's really play now."

She lunged for the ball and removed it from his possession. However, Butch caught up to her in two strides and managed to box her in. Buttercup turned on her heel in an attempt to break away only for Butch to knock the ball towards the basket.

He ran to catch it, but she sprinted past him and secured the ball again. She found her footing on the three-point line and went for the shot.

With milliseconds to spare, he knocked the ball off its trajectory just enough for it to bounce back off the edge of the rim.

"Jesus. I never thought this was going to be this intense," he heard Boomer murmur. "I never thought she'd be such a tough opponent. Right, Brick?"

"Huh?"

Boomer sighed. "And you gave me such shit…"

Butch whirled around to see his older brother not even pretending to watch the game, much preferring to stare at the pretty redhead across the court. "Keep it in your pants, Brick! I can see your boner from here!"

 _SWISH._

Fuck!

"Eyes on me, dickweed," Buttercup said, dribbling back to him.

"Yes, ma'am." He shot her a wink, deciding riling her up would be way more fun than dealing with his stupid older brother.

She blushed but still managed to roll her eyes. "Don't make it weird. Just get your head in the game. It's no fun if it's this easy."

Oh ho! So she thought he was going easy on her, did she? Fine then. Butch grinned and snagged the ball once more.

"Just wanted you to feel like you had a chance, Sunshine."

Her eyes hardened, but she smirked. "I don't need you to tell me that. I'll kick your ass without your stupid handicaps."

"I'm looking forward to it."

And he charged the basket again, leaping from a fair distance to dunk the ball with a satisfying swish.

To his surprise, Buttercup neither looked pissed nor impressed. Instead her smirk widened, and her lime green eyes sparkled. "That's more like it, Butchie Boy."

The game continued at a grueling pace, taking up more time than either of them had been anticipating. Half an hour later, and the score was still tied – though now it was five to five.

"Ten minute break!" Mitch called. "Drink some water, guys. You're both gross right now."

Boomer brought Butch his enormous container of Gatorade. Butch wordlessly took it and began chugging.

"How are you hangin' in there?" Boomer asked.

Butch shrugged in return. "Girl's tough, but she's not winnin' this. I'm wearin' her down fast. No way she'll play this well after the break. She's not used to it."

Scratching the back of his head, Boomer bit his lip. "I don't know about that…"

Following his gaze, Butch saw Buttercup standing with her sisters, already having drained half a water bottle. However, the girl barely looked fatigued as Blossom handed her a towel to dry off, and Bubbles jumped around clapping excitedly.

"You're doing great, BC. Keep it up!" Bubbles cheered. "I'll be right back, okay? Keep drinking water!"

"Yeah, yeah. Go say hi to your boyfriend." Buttercup waved her away, listening to Blossom's advice on how to pace herself for the rest of the game – spoken like a true sister and definitely not as someone who had ever played the game before.

Bubbles came over with a bright smile aimed at Boomer before shooting Butch a grumpy pout. "I thought you were good at this?!"

Butch rolled his eyes. "You know damn well I am. Not my fault your sister is _also_ good."

"I know! But I need you to be better." Bubbles paused. "I think we have to go with Plan B."

"There's a Plan B?"

"Of course!"

"All right. Let's pretend I think I'm going to lose. What is this flawless strategy that will work this time?"

"Easy! Take off your shirt."

"Bubbles!" Boomer gaped at her.

She smiled softly. "Oh, Boomie, it's not for me. It's a distraction tactic. So, Butch, do it before the second half starts, okay?"

"Yeah." Butch shook his head. "Crazy blonde."

He also tried very hard to block out the promises of removal of other clothing being made to his little brother. Bubbles was devious, there was no doubt about that.

Butch grinned. He certainly wasn't going to protest the suggestion. It was hot as fuck in here anyway, and if Buttercup happened to like what she saw?

Well, he would be more than willing to oblige any fantasies of hers after his win.

They made their way back to the center to continue the match, and Butch noticed the bounce in her step. Bubbles hadn't been kidding; this game clearly made her sister happy. So why the hell didn't she just admit it? Fuck those assholes from high school. She was a damn good player and belonged back on the court.

"Ready for round two?" she asked with a smirk so wide it almost morphed into a smile.

"Always ready," Butch replied with a smile that found its way onto his face before he could stop it. Buttercup's almost smile faded, and her eye widened at the expression on his face. Before he could think too much about what that meant, he quickly whipped his t-shirt off over his head and tossed it towards his brothers. "Are you ready?"

For a second, her eyes widened even further. Butch saw her give him an appreciative onceover before she managed to school her expression.

Then she peeled off her tank top and tossed it carelessly behind her.

And…holy…shit.

Buttercup had the tightest stomach he'd ever seen. And even in a sports bra…those should be illegal. God, his heart about stopped.

"Buttercup! Put your clothes back on!" Blossom cried. "This is hardly appropriate."

"She looks even prettier when her cheeks are pink! I didn't know anyone could be that pretty."

"Shut up, Brick. Just…we'll get you over to talk to her later."

Bubbles gaped. Well. Plan B certainly did not go the way she expected, now did it? "Wow, BC! You look great!"

Ignoring all the hubbub around her, Buttercup smirked at him. "Now I'm ready."

Damn if this girl wasn't the biggest spitfire he'd ever met. And he kinda dug it. She'd gone toe to toe with him in this game so far and busted his balls all the while.

Where had she been hiding all this time?

The game continued, but it was different than before. A lot less blocking and a lot more boxing out – making her much closer to him than she had been previously.

And was it just him or had she been grazing him with her hands more than before? Each time it sent blood rushing straight south because between the touches, the slickness of her own skin, and the damn life shining in her eyes as they played…well, calling it "appealing" would be an understatement.

He would be lying if he said his hand didn't purposely graze her hip once or twice too.

Now it was eight to eight, and the rest of the gym didn't matter. While the energy of their friends watching helped get the game going, now they were irrelevant. Even the supposed referee Mitch faded into the background. It was just him and Buttercup playing now.

Damn did it feel right.

"You're good, Sunshine. Really damn good." He hadn't meant for his tone to be that husky, but if the dilation of her pupils was any indication, she seemed to like it.

"You're not so bad yourself, Butchie Boy." She continued to dribble, but not enough to distract him from the coloring of her cheeks. This girl definitely didn't get complimented enough if she blushed this easily. And, for some reason, that made Butch angry. More than that, he wanted to convince her he meant it.

He got closer to her. "You'd be the star of the team, you know. None of those other girls could hold a candle to you."

Absently, Butch thought he heard squealing in the background, but Buttercup stopped dribbling and locked eyes with him.

God, the hope in her eyes just about ran a knife through his gut. What the hell had those high school pricks done to her?

And was it worse than what he was about to do? Butch would do anything to get this girl on the team that would make her so happy.

Including take advantage of this opening, regardless of how much it might make him hate himself later.

He knocked the ball out of her hands with ease and drove straight for the basket. Now the score was nine to eight, and she stared at him in disbelief.

"I meant what I said." His mouth was getting ahead of him again. "I can't let a player as good as you not try for the team."

"Don't try to sweet talk me. It won't work twice," she grumbled.

"I'm serious. I will do anything to get you on that team. Anyone can see how much you love this game."

"Don't make assumptions about me, dickweed!"

"You're having fun, Sunshine. Nice try, but you're not fooling me."

She glared at him for a moment before saying, "Shut up, and let's finish this up."

Well, that backfired. But he still had control of the ball. If he could sink a bucket, the game would be over. She'd try out for the team, and all would be right with the world. (And he could avoid pint-sized blonde wrath too.)

But…

Was it wrong if he wasn't quite ready for the game to end just yet?

So he figured he could draw it out just a little longer, right? After all, he couldn't remember the last time he had this much fun.

Or, at least, that had been his plan. Until, mid-dribble, he felt a pair of lip brush his own that sent a jolt right through him. His eyes locked on the raven hair in front of him for only a moment before – sweet Jesus, the girl suckled his bottom lip, causing his eyes to slide closed and him to bite back a moan.

But, just as quickly as she was there, Buttercup disappeared with the ball.

 _SWISH_.

Butch gaped at her and now he definitely heard squealing from the sidelines. Buttercup simply grinned, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"You're not the only one who can play dirty."

Damn. She had him there. But wait a minute –

"Yeah, but the supposed ref should call foul for that unwarranted contact."

Mitch shrugged from the side. "But was it _unwanted_ contact?"

Butch faltered for only a second before saying, "That's irrelevant."

"Oh contraire, mon frère. Just because I don't want to have sex with her doesn't mean I don't want her to have sex with _someone_. Girlfriend needs to get laid."

"Mitchell!" Three voices rose in unison. The redheaded sister looked ready to melt into the floor. His boyfriend wore a long suffering look that only someone like Mitch could inspire. And Buttercup…

Well, she looked ready to kill the squirrely brunet where he stood.

He only laughed in response. "Oh, don't give me that, Butters. You two would make a cute couple."

"And then we could double date!" Bubbles squealed. "And if Blossom and Brick want to date too we could _triple_! Oh, how fun would that be?!"

"Bubbles, you shouldn't just make those kinds of plans for people. Besides, you can't be sure that the boys would even be interested in something like that!" D'awh, how cute. Blossom was as pink as her sweater.

"Brick is interested!" Boomer shouted with a snicker.

Brick glowered at his youngest brother. "I'm going to kill you."

"R-really?" Blossom stuttered.

Now all the irritation left his face and instead he turned red as his cap again. "Uh…I mean…yeah. Bubbles has said a lot of uh…good things about you."

"Likewise." Blossom bit her lip as her cheeks turned pinker.

Butch glanced at Bubbles who sat there smiling all-too-innocently. He briefly considered the fact that maybe getting Buttercup on the team wasn't her true objective for today.

But there was no was she was _that_ devious…

Right?

"Yay! So double date confirmed!" Bubbles returned her attention to the court. "What do you say, Butch? Wanna make it a triple?"

Before Butch could eagerly answer the affirmative, Buttercup interjected.

"Stay out of this, blondie! Maybe I wouldn't want my first date with Butch to be with all of you! Some people like to go on dates alone, you know."

Wait – what? That was definitely, distinctly not a _no._

Robin snickered. "OoO, you wanna be alone, BC? Hm. That kiss must have been somethin' else."

Realizing too late what she said, Buttercup sputtered out a, "Shut up, Robin!" before chucking the basketball into the bleachers where her friend sat (long since having given up the pretense of doing anything other than flirting with the preppy boy who came in with Blossom.)

However, on instinct, Robin flinched away from the ball at the same time said same guy – Mike? – snatched the ball out of the air. Wordlessly, he tossed the ball to Butch.

"You okay?" he asked quietly.

Robin's eyes remained wide as saucers as she nodded, never taking her gaze off his face.

"Looks like I still might get a triple date," Bubbles observed with a giggle.

Mitch cleared his throat. "Watching all of these hormones flying around is adorable and all, but are we finishing this match? It's game point."

Oh, right. They were doing that, weren't they?

However, Buttercup's gaze remained glued to the floor. She looked so uncomfortable that it was tangible.

"We, uh…don't have to, you know. If you'd rather not, we can call the match off now. Your choice?" Butch offered, scratching the back of his head with one hand while cradling the ball with the other.

She looked up then and met his gaze, a new determination settling over her features. "I want to change the terms of our agreement."

Butch blinked. That hadn't been what he expected. "Okay. Color me intrigued, Sunshine. What would you like to change them to?"

Buttercup clenched and unclenched her fists, an obvious sign of her nerves, but she never broke eye contact. "Regardless of who wins, I'll try out for the team."

Awesome! That was great! The girls' team would be better than ever now. "Okay. So what do you want if you win?"

"For you to go on a date with me." She blurted out the words so fast that he barely caught them.

The room became so quiet that it almost seemed like everyone stopped breathing. Even Mitch was taken off-guard enough to look surprised.

Butch grinned. "All right. But if I win, I get to pick the place."

Buttercup started at him, disbelief painted on her face. "Seriously?"

"Hell yeah, Sunshine. If you're half as much fun on a date as you are on the court, it'll be the best date I've ever been on." He lowered his voice. "And if that kiss was any indication, well…I'd be a lucky bastard if I got to do more of that."

She sauntered over and stuck out her hand. "So it seems we've agreed to the new terms?"

He shook it eagerly. "Sounds good to me."

Quicker than he would have thought possible, she snatched the ball from his other hand, spun around, and shot.

 _SWISH._

Buttercup turned to him with a wide grin. "So, you free tomorrow night?"

"Sunshine, my weekend is as open as you need it to be."

And in that moment, Butch felt like the game meant more to either of them than they'd originally expected.

To say it changed his life would be the understatement of the year. Never again would the game of basketball be the same for him.

* * *

 **HEADLINE:** _ **March 27, 2014**_ **MVP Utonium Leads Townsville University's Pickles to Victory in National Championship Game**

 **HEADLINE:** _ **November 12, 2016**_ **Basketball Star Jojo Pops Question to Basketball Star Utonium at Pre-Season Event**

 **HEADLINE:** _ **June 2, 2017**_ **Basketball Starts Jojo and Utonium – now Jojo – Tie the Knot**

* * *

 **One again, the happiest of birthdays to you _Mrs Rosegold_! Have fun celebrating! :D**


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